Glen Clova Scientific, a biotechnology company specialising in biological drugs, has announced plans to relocate from Glasgow to Dundee. The firm will move to the new Life Sciences Innovation District, currently under construction and set to open next spring.
As part of the move, Glen Clova Scientific will set up at the Dundee University Incubator, located within the Dundee Technopole. This decision follows the first round of seed funding, raising up to £4 million to support the development of next-generation biologic drugs, based on research from the university.
The company, which now has a core team of 12 employees, will refurbish and equip three research and development laboratories at the incubator. These labs are expected to be ready by the end of the year.
Dr John Foerster, co-founder of Glen Clova Scientific, expressed his excitement about the relocation. “We are delighted to be able to locate our new laboratories so closely to the university. This will enable us to continue to interact with university teams and facilities when required.
“It is also important to GCS to continue to participate the growing health and life sciences clusters in both Dundee and Scotland.”
He also highlighted the importance of staying engaged with Dundee’s growing life sciences sector.
Dr David McBeth, the university’s Vice Principal for Enterprise and Economic Transformation, praised the move, noting that Glen Clova Scientific is precisely the type of company the university aims to support through its Life Sciences Innovation District.
"Glen Clova Scientific is exactly the kind of company we have in mind when partnering in the development of a Life Sciences Innovation District on the Technopole site.
We want to ensure that spin-out and start-up companies from the university can retain the benefits of close links, yet still have room to grow independently and move from discovery through to commercialisation and clinical development.
The Incubator is one important piece of the jigsaw on the Technopole site, and in early 2025 we will open our much larger Innovation Hub building."
In early 2025, the university will open a new £40 million Innovation Hub, funded by the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise, and the Tay Cities Deal. The hub aims to support the growth of companies like Glen Clova Scientific, boosting the local economy and creating hundreds of jobs in Dundee.
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